Redalyc.Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: Audience Response to Ryan, a Computer-Animated Psycho-Realist Documentary A

Palabra Clave ISSN: 0122-8285 [email protected] Universidad de La Sabana Colombia

Davis, Charles H.; Vladica, Florin Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: Audience Response to Ryan, a Computer-animated Psycho-realist Documentary and its Own Documentation in Alter Egos Palabra Clave, vol. 13, núm. 1, junio, 2010, pp. 13-29 Universidad de La Sabana Bogotá, Colombia

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Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: Audience Response to Ryan, a Computer-animated Psycho-realist Documentary and its Own Documentation in Alter Egos

Valor del consumidor y modos de recepción de medios: respuestas de la audiencia Ryan, un pequeño documental psicorrealista animado por computador, y su propia documentación en Alter Egos

Charles H. Davis, Ph.D.1 Florin Vladica, Ph.D.2

Abstract Resumen

Consumer value and value creation are fundamental con- En mercadeo, administración y literatura sobre organiza- cepts in marketing, management and in literature on orga- ciones, los conceptos de valor del consumidor y creación de nizations, but are almost never considered in the context of valor son fundamentales, aunque casi nunca se examinan screen-based “experience” products. In this paper, the au- en el contexto de los bienes de experiencia en pantalla. En thors depart from the prevailing approaches to audience or este artículo, nos apartamos de enfoques imperantes sobre reception studies by investigating the experience value the audiencia o estudios de recepción y estudiamos el valor ex- consumption of a screen-based product has for the specta- perimental que produce en el espectador el consumo de un tor. Using the Q-methodology and Holbrook’s consumer producto visto en pantalla. Aplicando la metodología Q y value framework (1999), they empirically identify audience el esquema de Holbrook sobre valor del consumidor (1999), segments based on television viewers’ subjective experi- identificamos segmentos de audiencia empíricamente, par- ence with an innovative film product: the award-winning, tiendo de la experiencia subjetiva de los telespectadores de computer-animated short documentary Ryan. The film uses un producto filmado de manera innovadora: Ryan, breve y creative state-of-the art animation to tell a compelling story laureado documental animado por computador. Este docu- in ways that stretch the documentary genre. The authors mental utiliza el estado del arte de la animación creativa para contar una historia convincente en un estilo que amplía el uncover and describe four audience segments. Unexpect- género documental. Descubrimos y describimos cuatro seg- edly, these four segments bear a strong resemblance to the mentos de audiencia que, sin que nos lo propusiéramos, se four principal modes of media reception proposed recent- parecen mucho a los cuatro modos principales de recepción ly by Michelle (2007), thereby creating a potentially fruit- de medios, planteados recientemente por Michelle (2007). ful link between the framework for consumer experience Esto crea un vínculo potencialmente útil entre el esquema value and media reception studies. sobre el valor experiencial del consumidor y los estudios sobre recepción de medios. Key words: Consumer value, media reception, audience segments, creative animation, spectator, marketing. Palabras clave: valor del consumidor, recepción de medios, segmentos de audiencia, animación creativa, espectador, mercadeo.

1 Edward S. Rogers Sr. Research Chair in Media Management and En- trepreneurship. School of Radio and Television Arts and Ted Rogers School of Management Rogers Communications Centre. Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [email protected]

2 Digital Value Lab. Rogers Communications Centre. Ryerson Univer- Recibido: 01/02/10 sity, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [email protected] Aceptado: 27/04/10 13 - 30 ISSN 0122-8285

Introduction the award-winning short computer-animated documentary Ryan. This film uses state-of- Media organizations, like producers in other ex- the art creative animation to tell a compelling perience industries, face the well-known prob- story in ways that stretch the documentary lem of high uncertainty of demand for their genre. We uncover and describe four audience products (Caves, 2000). Attraction and retention segments. Unexpectedly, these four segments of audiences is a central challenge that media bear a strong resemblance to the four principal firms must face (cf. Aris and Bugin, 2005). To modes of media reception recently proposed by strengthen audience engagement and improve Michelle (2007), creating a potentially fruitful predictability and market control require mak- link between the experiential consumer value ing sense of audience motives and behavior. framework and media reception studies. However, what feedbacks permit producers and purveyors of mediated experience goods to Screen Experiences, Innovation and understand the ways these goods create value Consumer Value in Documentary Film for consumers? Media industries, especially those branches that depend on advertising-sup- Documentaries traditionally are considered to ported business models, have developed highly be a factual, non-fictional genre that seek to re- rationalized feedback mechanisms to provide cord, reveal, preserve, persuade, promote, ana- information about market share or customers’ lyze, question, or express a viewpoint (Renov, exposure to product. These feedbacks, however, 1993), thereby making a pledge to the viewer do not get at the subjective consumption experi- “that what we will see and hear is about some- ence. Professional or amateur critics or consum- thing real and true –and, frequently, important ers themselves usually assess feedback about for us to understand” (Aufderheide, 2007). John the consumption experience; they routinely Grierson coined the term documentary in 1926 share opinions about experiential product qual- in reference to the film Moana, produced by the ity through word-of-mouth. American John Flaherty, which Grierson regarded as having a “documentary value” (Kilborn & Market share, levels of exposure and vernacu- Izod, 1997: 12). Documentary subgenres include lar opinions are, of course, far from negligible advocacy, political propaganda and govern- as sources of market intelligence, but they only ment affairs, historical, nature, and ethnograph- take us so far in our attempt to understand ic (Aufderheide, 2007). Hogarth suggests that sources of value creation in experience goods. a global approach to documentaries should The concepts of customer/consumer value and involve a “flexible definition of documentary value creation are central ones in the market- to suit the social, cultural, economic, and tech- ing, management, and organization literatures, nological circumstance in which it now oper- but they are infrequently considered in the con- ates” (2006, p.14), keeping in mind emerging text of screen-based experience goods. In this demand for documentaries that provide “art- paper, we depart from prevailing approaches ful entertainment” (Aufderheide, 2005) and not to audience or reception studies by investigat- just instruction or edification. Much scholarship ing the experiential value that consumption of on documentaries focuses on aesthetic innova- a screen product yields to the spectator. Using tion through critical analysis of documentary Q-methodology and Holbrook’s consumer val- content, characterization and interpretation ue framework (1999), we empirically identify of stylistic features, parsing of a documentary audience segments based on viewers’ subjective film’s claims to authenticity, or grappling with experience of an innovative-filmed product, the perennial question of what are the limits of 14 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

the genre, considering the “increasingly blurred boundaries between factual and fictional genre The motion picture industry stands categories” (Kilborne, 2004). This is true of the apart from other screen industries in subgenre of documentary discussed here, ani- its reliance on spectacle and a one-to- mated documentary, which emphasizes an alternative means of conveying social or political many business model. Interactivity is messages rather than claiming to document not significant, and advertising is not something in the factual, non-fictional, or literal the principal source of revenue. sense (Hight, 2008a, 2008b; Martins, 2008a).

Although documentaries are a strength of the ing-supported broadcasting and the spread of Canadian screen industry, many documentary consumption culture in the United States. Con- producers live a hand-to-mouth existence. In- ceptualization of audiences and construction novation in documentary business practice may of coherent images of audiences are becoming provide the potential to put documentary pro- increasingly complex undertakings as media duction companies on a firmer financial footing. consumption migrates to broadband. Highly In a previous paper (Vladica & Davis, 2009), we mediated, interactive environments are leading described and assessed a model to analyze in- to sharp increases in media consumption, high novation in the Canadian documentary film in- levels of personalization, proliferation of experi- dustry. The Sawhney-Wolcott-Arroniz “radar” ence segments, and the advent of cross-platform model of innovation (2006) identifies twelve di- “liquid media” (Russell, 2008). The once relative- mensions of innovation and value creation. This ly distinct roles of consumer, spectator, user, and model provides a comprehensive way of con- player overlap, and media such as social network ceptualizing and observing innovation across all aspects of business practice in any industry, in- sites lend themselves to multidimensional uses cluding a creative industry such as documentary and gratifications (Joinson, 2008). Media con- film. It has one shortcoming, however: that limits sumption over interactive networks is leading its applicability in a significant swath of the econ- to the sort of large transactional databases and omy: one of the twelve dimensions of innovation data-intensive behavioral constructions of audi- is a black box called “customer experience.” ences and markets that have already become familiar to firms in retailing, financial services, and Reliable theory about the production of expe- other sectors (Zwick and Dholakia, 2004), per- riential value for screen audiences is scarce. A mitting precise targeting of advertisements and considerable literature in experiential marketing increasingly relevant product recommendations. and customer value has emerged, but it has not affected mainstream innovation practices in the The motion picture industry stands apart from screen industries. Screen audience research has other screen industries in its reliance on spectacle taken a different tack. Since the 1920s, a substan- and a one-to-many business model. Interactivity tial audience research and analysis industry has is not significant, and advertising is not the prin- emerged alongside the media industries. Napoli cipal source of revenue. Hollywood’s business (2008) recounts how media organizations moved model requires production of blockbusters and from reliance on intuitive understanding of au- recovery of high up-front product development diences to development feedback mechanisms costs through theatrical admission fees, brand based on highly rationalized audience measure- extensions, windowing, and merchandising. ment practices with the emergence of advertis- Market research on film audiences took off in 15 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

Hollywood in the 1940s (Bakker 2003). It has pri- we employ the concept of customer value as a marily evolved in three directions: focus groups starting point. The three predominant meanings and concept testing before release, audience pro- of customer value refer to value for the customer, filing based on box office data, and investigation shareholder value, and stakeholder value (Wood- of the factors that affect consumers’ decision to all, 2003). While conventions have been devel- see particular films or prefer various kinds of oped to define and measure shareholder and firms (Austin, 1986; Becker et al., 1985; Cuadra- stakeholder value, the conceptualization and do and Frasquet, 1999; Fischoff, 1998; Moller & measurement of customer value remains unset- Karppinen, 1983; Palmgreen et al. 1988). tled. Korkman identifies three different starting points in the customer value literature: customer The field of scholarly research on screen audi- value as a cognitive process, as a resource-based ences, however, has hotly debated the processes production process, and as an experiential pro- and consequences of audiencehood for decades. cess. The latter –customer value as experiential The contested status of the audience involves a process– has become a widely accepted proposi- methodological and epistemological controver- tion since Holbrook and Hirschman suggested sy over the relative extent to which we can at- in 1982 that the experiential dimension of con- tribute effects to media consumption. These are sumer behavior is, in many cases, more impor- the degree of activeness or passivity of the audi- tant than considerations of functionality or price ence, the coherence of categories of audience, the in production of consumption value. Therefore, motivations for categorizing audiences, and the marketing of experience goods cannot rely on implications of attributing or failing to attribute conventional marketing frameworks that that functions of consumer, producer, or citizen to assume consumers’ rational assessment of price audiences. Recent calls for methodological plu- and quality of offerings (Hirschman, 1983; see ralism in audience research (e.g. Schroder et al., the useful summary in Euzeby, 1997). 2003) may help to widen the space of shared understanding between marketing and media stud- Production of valuable customer experience ies which, as Puustinen (2006) points out, are is a central purpose of firms in experience in- both keenly interested in the subjective dimen- dustries, and failure to apprehend and under- sion of media consumption. stand innovation in customer experience is an important shortcoming among producers of In this paper, we leave aside the sociodemo- experience goods. As the literature on service graphic and qualitative-interpretive approaches innovation makes clear, a complete understand- that are usually employed in research on audi- ing of customer experience innovation requires ences and their screen experiences, and use Q, a structured qualitative research methodology In this paper, we leave aside the (described below), to focus entirely on the cog- sociodemographic and qualitative- nitive and affective responses of viewers to a interpretive approaches that are usually specific screen experience. At first glance, the employed in research on audiences and approach that is closest to our interests in the their screen experiences, and use Q, a field of media studies may appear to be the us- structured qualitative research methodology es-and-gratification paradigm. We are especially (described below), to focus entirely on the interested in the ways that content yields value, cognitive and affective responses of viewers however, and this is a well-known weakness of to a specific screen experience. the uses-and-gratifications approach. Instead, 16 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

consideration of how an experience good pro- empirical social science technique, to identify and duces value throughout the entire customer describe the subjective viewpoints of viewers of transaction cycle. In experience goods that aim an animated documentary film, Ryan, winner of primarily to yield entertainment value, such as the 2004 Oscar for best-animated short film. films, arguably the core value is yielded during the consumption of the experience good. At Ryan and Alter Egos present, however, reliable knowledge is scarce about the subjective dimensions of mediated Although best known for its stunning computer- consumption experiences. In particular, no con- generated animation, Ryan claims documentary ventions have been established; by which to status through its portrayal of Ryan Larkin, re- observe and compare the ways that consump- nowned Canadian hand-drawn animation artist tion of screen products creates value among au- from the 1960s and 1970s. The film recount his diences. This is especially true of documentary downfall from wunderkind filmmaker to coke- audiences (Austin, 2007, 2005; Eitzen, 1995; Har- head and alcoholic and homeless panhandler. die, 2008; Vladica & Davis, 2009). Although the film points to a kind of redemption for Ryan, filmmaker Chris Landreth’s portrait Researchers have proposed and tested a variety of this fallen creator raises troubling questions of typologies of customer value but for which about artistic license, especially when the short few validated scales are available. We used Hol- animated film is viewed as an embedded se- brook’s (1999) typology of consumer value, which quence in Laurence Green’s 52-minute live-ac- posits three dimensions of value: self-oriented vs. tion documentary Alter Egos (2004). Although other-oriented, active vs. reactive, and extrinsic vs. intrinsic. This typology contains eight kinds of originally, it was a promotional vehicle for Ryan, consumer value: efficiency, play, quality, beauty, Alter Egos stands as a powerful documentary in status, ethics, esteem, and spirituality. Research- its own right by chronicling the production of ers have not yet begun to test customer/consum- Ryan, notably including Larkin’s pained reac- er value frameworks in the realm of experience tion to his psychorealistic portrayal in the film goods, especially screen products. It is likely that and the ensuing interaction between Larkin and 3 some of the consumer value categories will need Ryan’s creator Chris Landreth. to be modified or left aside. For example, func- tional or instrumental value is not likely to be ap- Ryan Larkin (1943-2007) was a Canadian artist plicable in the case of film viewing. who learned animation at a young age at Can- ada’s National Film Board (NFB) in Montreal. Our goal in this paper is to identify and describe He produced several acclaimed short animat- segments of audience experience. Consumer seg- ed films: Syrinx (1965), Cityscape (1966), Walk- mentation is a fundamental marketing practice ing (1969), and Street Musique (1972).4 Walking, that seeks to identify sets of potential or actual which was nominated for an Academy Award consumers with some common attributes that can in 1970, is an astonishing five-minute portrayal be addressed with an offering. The sets can be of people moving on foot. It is a classic of hand- defined using many different kinds of variables: drawn animation and some animation courses “geographic, demographic, psychological, psy- frequently use it as a teaching resource. chographic or behavioural” (Tynan and Drayton, 1987) and a range of increasingly sophisticated 3 The film Ryan may be viewed on the National Film Board’s websi- analytical methodologies (Wedel and Kakamura, te (www.nfb.ca). The DVD Ryan (Special Edition) (2005) contains the film Ryan as well as the documentary Alter Egos. 1999). We use Q-methodology, an exploratory 4 These films may be viewed on the NFB website. 17 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

Considered a star in his 20s, Larkin never complet- lection committee, began to develop the idea of ed another film after Street Musique. He became a film based on Ryan’s life. Landreth, at the time addicted to cocaine and alcohol, and he ended up employed by Alias, the maker of Maya and other homeless, living in a men’s shelter in Montreal 3D animation software, is the creator of several and panhandling for change. “I had a drug prob- short animated films of which the best known lem, you see,” recounts Larkin in Alter Egos. before Ryan are The End (1995) and Bingo (1998).

That’s why I couldn’t finish my films. Cocaine. I met Ryan Larkin in the summer of 2000. I What you do in cocaine, is you get all kinds of hung out with him for one week and thought, brilliant ideas every three and a half minutes, “What a life story this guy has.” It has all the ele- and there’s never enough time to complete a ments of drama. It’s got tragedy, comedy, ab- thought on paper before another idea even surdity, [and] this redemptive element. And more brilliant comes up. So I was overloading, there are some other themes as a result of it which is the main reason why I stopped making that are about Ryan, but also about alcoholism, films, because I was just not good at it anymore. addiction, mental illness and fear of failure. (Animating the Animator, 2007) In 2000, a staffer from the Ottawa Internation- al Animation Festival “heard through a friend In the summer of 2001, Landreth conducted the about this old animator who was now panhan- series of interviews with Larkin that provided dling on the streets of Montreal” (Robinson, the audio for the film’s soundtrack and the 2004). A group drove to Montreal to find him; video for modeling. It took about three years to “our idea was that maybe we could help him complete the 14-minute film. The film recounts out by bringing him to the Ottawa 2000 festi- Landreth’s interview with Larkin in a decrepit val” (ibid.). Larkin was indeed panhandling on cafeteria in a homeless shelter in Montreal, in- St. Laurent Ave. He eventually was invited to tercut with sequences from Larkin’s own ani- join the festival’s selection committee. Robinson mated films and observations about Larkin and (2004) describes how the other animators on the his life by two individuals who knew him well, selection committee became aware of the sig- his former girlfriend Felicity Fanjoy and his nificance of Larkin’s contributions to animation: former producer Derek Lamb. All characters are 3D CGI animated. The Landreth character [W]e decided to have a screening of the committee’s shows the Ryan character an original drawing own films. We consciously saved Ryan’s for last. from Walking, the first time in 35 years that he The reaction was unforgettable. Until that mo- ment, I do not think that Andrei, Pjotr or Chris has seen this original material. The climax oc- really had an inkling that this guy was. When they curs when the Landreth character asks the Ryan saw Street Musique and Walking, they were stun- character to consider “beating alcohol in the ned. “You did that film!?” someone said. In a span same way you beat cocaine.” The Ryan charac- of about 20 minutes, Ryan went from little brother ter’s highly emotional response makes Landreth to mythological hero. Everyone wanted to know think of his mother, also a talented alcoholic what happened, what he was doing. We poured who “died of it,” to whom the film is dedicated. drinks and everyone gathered around Ryan as he The film ends with a scene of the Ryan character recounted — often through tears — his downfall from golden boy at the NFB to Montreal gracefully panhandling on a Montreal street, the cokehead. Everyone was quiet. No one really Landreth character thoughtfully observing. knew what to say. The story of Larkin’s fall and ambiguous re- In following this encounter, Chris Landreth, en- demption is made vivid with three-dimension- gineer turned animator and member of the se- al computer generated images to produce an 18 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

expressive, surreal style Landreth calls psy- ment the making of Ryan. Alter Egos provides a chorealism. It involves “co-opting elements of deeper and more detailed look at Larkin’s his- photorealism to serve a different purpose; to tory and conflicts thanRyan does, and it crucially expose the realism of the incredibly complex, shows the complicated relationship that devel- messy, chaotic, sometimes mundane, and al- ops between filmmaker Landreth and his sub- ways conflicted quality we call human nature” ject Larkin. The latter clearly has no inkling that (Landreth, 2004, as cited in Power, 2009). Lan- he has been portrayed as a damaged skeletal dreth’s psychorealism uses non motion-captured figure in Landreth’s film until Landreth returns 3D graphics and simultaneous perspectives to to Larkin’s shelter and shows him a videotape make the physical appearance of the characters of the completed film, a scene that is shown in express their internal state of mind.5 Larkin him- Alter Egos. Larkin’s reaction and the subsequent self is portrayed as a freakish skeletal figure with conversation between Landreth and Larkin cre- a disintegrating head in which we see images ate an extraordinarily poignant scene. Larkin flashing. This stylistic feature exploiting faux- says: “I’m not very fond of my skeleton image... photorealism to depict characters whose strange it makes me very uncomfortable.” And later: physical deformities represent their emotional “it’s always easier to portray grotesque ver- lives elicited most attention among critics. Ob- sions of reality.” As the film sinks in: “I guess it served a reviewer in the New York Times, shows me for who or what I really am.” But at the close of the film, Larkin says to the camera: The emotions are raw; so is the way Mr. Lan- “I am what I am. I didn’t do anything wrong.... dreth draws the human mind. Ryan’s head 6 looks like a botched medical experiment. Mul- I just want out of this film.” ticoloured strings cross and twist; red spikes strike his glasses when he gets angry. Green Method rays hang in empty space. Clear thought has burned away. (Jefferson, 2005) We used Q-methodology to identify and describe subjects’ experiences of viewing Ryan. In Q- Ryan takes three notable risks. First, it stretches methodology, respondents rank order items–in the limits of documentary genre by asking view- this case, statements about the film. Q-methodol- ers to accept 3D animation as a serious form when ogy provides a systematic, rigorous means of ob- animation is usually experienced in cartoons, jectively describing human subjectivity through children’s programming, video games, or ad- the combination of qualitative and quantita- vertisements. Second, it requires that the viewer tive analysis (Brown 1996, 1980; McKeown and accept that non-factual photorealistic representa- Thomas, 1988). Many social science disciplines tions of characters’ appearances accurately repre- such as political science, marketing, psychology, sent emotional reality. Third, the film requires the sociology, public policy, marketing, and health viewer to judge whether the filmmaker has fairly care has used Q-methodology, but less often the treated Ryan, raising questions of who benefits humanities. The use of Q-methodology in audi- from artistic license and who has been co-opted ence research is relatively infrequent. by it: the filmmaker, his subject, or the viewer. 6 Larkin came to appreciate the film Ryan, which helped to bring him Obscured by the success of Ryan is Laurence out of the world of panhandling and back into the world of art. In a short video by Gibran Ramos titled “Ryan after Ryan,” shot the Green’s live action documentary Alter Egos, com- day Larkin received his diagnosis of a cancer that was to prove fatal, missioned by the National Film Board to docu- Larkin is seen wearing a t-shirt featuring Ryan’s skeletal face. Lar- kin says: “I was retired but because of Christopher Landreth and his famous film, I began to realize that there are millions of people out 5 For an account of the 3D techniques used to create Ryan, see Robert- there wanting to see another Ryan Larkin film. I’ve been working on son (2004). it.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7QvVYz4Vzs. 19 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

The audience was a class of second-year television or ‘status.’ Our 32-statement concourse therefore production students in a media research methods does not adopt a balanced Fisherian design. The course. We screened a 20-minute segment from concourse contains nine statements referring to Alter Egos beginning with the sequence in which aesthetic value, nine on excellence, six on spiri- Landreth enters the men’s shelter in Montreal tual values, four on ethics, two on esteem, and in search of Larkin to show him the completed one each on status and play. film, and ending with a live action scene with Larkin and Landreth sitting in a bar discussing the The audience anonymously completed the Q-sort film. This segment contains practically all of a week after viewing the film. In this procedure, the animated film Ryan. the respondent is asked to rank-order items by iteratively selecting the items that best and least The items to sort (Q-deck) consisted of a “con- represent his/her viewpoint, placing the items in course” of 32 statements evoked by the film, a set distribution as shown in Table 1 and work- shown in Table 2. A concourse must properly rep- ing toward the middle. We obtained 77 usable resent the range of ideas, feelings, and perceptions Q-sorts from participants this way and analyzed that the stimulus can evoke. We selected these the results using a commercial software package statements from among several hundred collected for Q-methodology, PCQ for Windows. from the audience, who was asked to write about their thoughts and feelings after having viewed Results Ryan, complementing the audience’s statements with a few selected from viewers’ comments post- A four-factor solution fit the data best. In this so- ed to online film review sites. Since our research lution, 48 sorts loaded significantly and singly was motivated by the question of how a screen ex- on only one of the four factors. There were 5 con- perience yields consumer value, we selected state- founded sorts and 24 non-significant sorts. Each ments to represent the kinds of consumer value posited by Holbrook (1999). This was the most factor had from 8 to 17 significant sorts associ- subjective step in our method because the exist- ated with it. Each factor represents a viewpoint, ing concourse referred much more extensively to an account of the viewer’s experience. The sorts some kinds of consumer value than other kinds. that define each viewpoint are shown in Table 1, For example, we found no statements regarding along with a radar diagram of the Holbrookian ‘efficiency’ and few that we could classify as ‘play’ consumer values represented by each viewpoint.

Table 1

Viewpoint A Factor A

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

2 5 13 1 6 8 3 10 9 18 4 7 28 17 14 22 11 15 30 16 24 12 20 31 26 19 25 32 21 29 23 27

20 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

Viewpoint B Factor B

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

5 15 9 4 2 18 1 10 16 12 6 3 22 7 20 13 14 8 27 28 17 19 11 30 21 23 31 29 24 32 25 26

Viewpoint C Factor C

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

10 4 6 2 7 1 11 21 13 12 3 9 8 28 23 14 5 18 20 24 15 16 22 31 17 19 29 26 25 30 27 32

Viewpoint D Factor D

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

16 2 13 6 1 4 3 28 9 14 12 11 5 30 10 18 15 22 7 24 20 17 25 8 21 19 26 23 27 29 31 32

21 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

A complete list of the 32 statements 12. At the end, I felt horrible for the main 0 -1 -1 0 and the score of each statement on character. And the events that he had each factor are presented in Table 2. to go through in life. Things happen and people live with it and we all do what we can. Table 2 13. It makes me laugh. It is creative, an -1 -1 -2 -1 Factors A B C D animated document less serious, but more interesting. 1. I love to see such a physical embodi- 0 3 2 1 ment of grief and pain in the way the 14. Seeing this film was an amazing ex- -2 0 -1 -1 figures are formed; very powerful perience. images and ideas. 15. It is not difficult to portray people as 1 -2 -1 0 2. This is a real masterpiece, unforget- -3 1 0 -2 grotesque. table, to say the least. 16. Most amazing use of 3D animation -2 -2 0 -3 3. We all go through devastating expe- 3 1 0 3 I’ve ever seen. riences, but what is important is that we learn from them, or be doomed to 17. I don’t need money to create art. Do 3 -1 -1 0 repeat them. it for the fun and the emotional re- wards not the money because that’s 4. It was a cool animation life show. 0 0 -2 2 true art.

5. One cannot do anything without the -2 -3 0 2 18. It has opened-up a new world of doc- -1 2 1 -1 power of money. umentary type that could be created.

6. I am acutely aware of the life of an art- 1 0 -1 0 19. I did not find it boring. I enjoyed it, it 0 0 0 0 ist, the lack of money, for the amazing was interesting. things that they do. 20. It is sad how artistic minds of our 1 -2 2 -1 7. I thought the genuine emotion was 1 3 1 2 time who use questionable means for there. This is cool, the way it was pre- inspiration are in turn destroyed by sented. the same inspirational sources.

8. Any piece of work, of art, a film, a 2 1 2 2 21. I gained hope, the hope that many 0 -1 -3 -1 picture, or a song, has to inspire some others, including myself, have the in- kind of thought, and this work does spiration and potential to overcome that. It makes you think about it, at any obstacle that will come in the way. least for a little bit, and so it achieved its purpose. 22. It is beautiful and haunting, great -1 2 1 1 work! Touching and enlightening. 9. It makes me want to know the creator -2 -1 1 -2 and Ryan. 23. Maybe “comfortable” is a weird word 0 0 -2 -1 10. Art is not deemed worthy until you -3 -3 -3 -2 to describe it, but you can be comfort- are dead or better yet the bigger fish able watching that story if you could swallows the little fishes. relate to it.

11. The way the characters were missing 0 1 3 1 24. Loved this! If you’ve ever been artis- -1 0 -2 -2 pieces of themselves, the meaning be- tic - or ever had a problem with your hind that--beautiful in a way, truly. own stupid mind getting in your way, 22 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

and the world not co-operating, this obscurity (statement 28), the need to examine just illustrates it to a T. one’s own demons and understand how they affect one’s art (statement 31), the dangers drugs 25. One can have a wonderful piece of 1 0 0 1 artistic expression, but one also needs pose to artistic persons (statement 20), and the to be respectful of the subject, of the intrinsic motivations for creating art (statement talent that is being used. 17). Ryan is considered an effectively executed film because it uses computer-generated char- 26. It is beautiful and at times funny, it’s -1 0 -1 1 acters to achieve an emotional response (#30). life in all its colors. However, the film is not regarded as amazing

(statement 14, statement 16) or an unforgettable 27. It is the relationship between the doc- 0 2 0 0 umentary film maker and the subject masterpiece (statement 2). Subjects do not accept that I found interesting. that money, death, or exploitation are necessar- ily part of the creative experience (statement 5, 28. I have always worried that I will fail 2 -2 3 -3 statement 10). In regards to sources of value and and fall into obscurity, forgotten and Holbrook’s model, viewpoint A expresses expe- lost, and as result, be a shell of who I rience primarily in terms of spiritual values– once was. faith, ecstasy, sacredness, and magic and relates 29. Acceptance of what others believe 1 -1 1 1 largely to the numinous experiential aspects of whether I believe it or not, is some- the film. Seventeen respondents expressed this thing I can relate to. viewpoint.

30. Movies don’t have to have real actors 2 2 1 3 Viewpoint B: Critical Appreciation for to get such an emotional response Powerful Documentary Storytelling from the audience.

31. I guess the examination of our own 2 1 2 0 In Viewpoint B, subjects position themselves demons and they affect our art or life as knowledgeable documentary filmmakers, as is a question we all ask at some point. craftpersons appraising a peer’s production. They respond primarily to Ryan’s value propositions 32. The way the main character spoke -1 1 0 0 in terms of its demonstration of the values of ex- made me feel for him in such a personal way. It is hard to explain, I just cellence and aesthetics (see Holbrook’s sources felt sympathy for him. of value). They appreciate the techniques and approaches used to make the film and to con- vey the story. Subjects admire the film’s prow- ess at expressing beauty and emotion with Viewpoint A: Inspiring and Effective computer-generated characters (statement 1, Work, but not a Masterpiece statement 7, statement 22), and indicate interest in the filmmaker-subject relationship (state- Subjects respond as creative artists who identify ment 27) as well as in Landreth’s innovation in with the animators in Ryan, although the story the documentary genre (statement 18). Subjects does not create a desire to know either Landreth do not respond emotionally to the film’s darker or Ryan (statement 9). The film is considered in- themes: fear of failure (statement 28), the associ- spiring by these subjects because it speaks to ation of art with a death wish (statement 10), or the “devastating experiences” familiar to cre- Larkin’s art-vs-commerce conflict (statement 5). ative artists (statement 3), the fear of failure and Thirteen respondents expressed this viewpoint. 23 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

Viewpoint C: Powerful Story to do with spirituality and craft excellence. Ten of Damaged Selves respondents expressed this viewpoint.

In this viewpoint, subjects position themselves Discussion of Results as individuals who empathize with the pain and suffering expressed by the characters in The four experience segments apprehend the Ryan. Subjects respond emotionally to the de- film’s value propositions very differently. The au- piction of damaged selves as damaged bodies dience does not place uniform value on the film and acknowledge their own fears of corporal or in terms of excellence, spirituality, or aesthetics. psychological disintegration (statement 1, state- In seeking to understand differences in view- ment 11), of “falling into obscurity” and becom- ers’ appraisals of the film’s value, we notice that ing a shell (statement 28), and of destruction each segment represents a specific way that the by internal demons (statement 31) or personal viewer positions him/herself with respect to the weaknesses related to drugs or alcohol (state- film. In Viewpoint A, viewers appraise the film ment 20). Subjects do not find the film to be light, as creative artists who relate to the film’s story of funny (statement 13), comfortable (statement artistic genius and suffering. They find the film 23), or reassuring (statement 21). This viewpoint to be inspiring, so the source of value is of spiri- reflects a screen experience that admires the tual nature. In Viewpoint B, respondents position quality of the animation finds the psychorealistic themselves as persons who have some knowledge aesthetics painfully and effective. Eight respon- of and interest in documentary filmmakers. They dents, female, expressed this viewpoint. are interested in the creative beauty and craft excellence of the film, so notice film’s production Viewpoint D: Cool Animation values, including its problematic relationships but not Engaging between artist and subject. In Viewpoint C, viewers enter into the film and allow themselves to In this viewpoint, subjects position themselves experience its narrative of self-damage. They ad- as sophisticated consumers of screen entertain- mire the technical virtuosity of Ryan and find a ment who decline to become engaged in this spiritual appreciation, but the aesthetic style of screen experience. They find the expression of the film is disturbing. In Viewpoint D, viewers emotion by computer-generated characters to keep themselves at arm’s length from the film. be “cool” or a “cool show” (statement 7, state- They find it mildly entertaining (play value) but ment 4, statement 30) and they admit that it do not wish to engage substantively with the induced “some kind of thought... at least for a film in terms of technique or narrative. little bit” (statement 8). They take it for granted that people have devastating experiences and Descriptions of four distinct subjective view- that art can conflict with commerce (statement points suggest that we can categorize viewers of 3, statement 5). However, they do not worry Ryan in four audience segments. Since none of the about failure (statement 28) or art that seems driven by death wishes (statement 10), they do not want to get to know the artists (statement They are interested in the creative 9), and they do not regard the film as a master- beauty and craft excellence of the film, piece (statement 2) or amazing (statement 16). so notice film’s production values, This viewpoint responds positively to the film’s including its problematic relationships proposed aesthetic and ethical sources of value, between artist and subject. and negatively to its value propositions having 24 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

four factors is bipolar, our audience did not expe- D, expressed by a group of ten individu- rience Ryan in opposite ways, just different ways. als who negotiated the following position with respect to Ryan: comprehension of the We can compare the four empirically identified film’s message but emotional distance. viewer positions we uncovered with Q-methodology with a recently published theory of modes Our empirical findings show that audiences nei- of audience reception. Michelle (2007) reviews the ther are passive consumers of screen messages, corpus of audience reception studies, synthesizes nor entirely individualized readers of texts. We them, and proposes four modes of reception: found four viewpoints, representing segments l Transparent (text as life). The viewer sus- of similar audience experience. The idiosyncratic pends disbelief and does not critically de- experiencers are in a minority–they do not con- construct the text. Instead, she/he enters stitute a homogeneous group and the audience into the story and engages with it. The members in this group have only fragmentary transparent mode of reception corresponds aspects of their screen consumption experience most closely with our Viewpoint C, ex- to share with others–. These four principal expressed by a group of eight viewers who perience segments, which we may represent the found Ryan to be powerful and disturbing. four principal modes of reception, as outlined by Michelle, account for 62% of respondents. l Referential (text as like life). The viewer per- ceives the “text” as standing alongside the Conclusions and Implications real world, and draws on personal experience or knowledge of the wider world in his/ her experiencing of the film. The referential We are interested in the design, production, mode of reception corresponds most closely distribution, and especially consumption of ex- with our Viewpoint A, expressed by a group periential goods and services. In this paper, we of seventeen individuals who found the film looked at the subjective consumption experience an inspiring a story of artistic struggle, with of those who are watching an innovative-filmed reference to their own experiences. product, the award-winning short computer-animated documentary Ryan. In order to describe l Mediated (text as a production). The view- and explain such a specific screen experience, we er is attuned to the text’s generic form, its focused on the cognitive and affective responses aesthetics, and its intentionality, and he ap- of viewers. We empirically revealed four view- praises the text from the perspective of a points, as described in the previous section, and producer of similar products. The mediated we posit that combinations of different value mode of reception corresponds most closely types motivate and so can explain this range of with our Viewpoint B, expressed by a group responses. Holbrook’s framework for consumer of thirteen persons who assessed Ryan as an value, with its typology of values, proved useful innovative documentary production. in a number of ways: l Discursive (text as message). In this mode, 1. It helps to explain the diversity of view- the viewer analyzes and comprehends points, hence different subjective screen the text and its motivation, and positions experiences. her/himself with respect to that message: against, for, or in a negotiated relationship. 2. It helps in describing these viewpoints and, The discursive mode of reception corre- to a certain degree, the corresponding au- sponds most closely with our Viewpoint dience segments 25 Charles H. Davis, Florin Vladica ISSN 0122-8285

3. It provided a rationale for the selection of the statements required to construct the Furthermore, it requires in-depth “concourse” in Q-methodology. familiarity with Holbrook’s interpretation of consumer value concept: not a trivial The subjects in our research project were sec- expertise to acquire. ond-year television production students. Their professional interest, career aspiration, and personal motivations can be captured with Hol- method in the study of audiences, of experiential brook’s typology of values and are nicely illus- consumption, and to better understand sources trated by the combination of value types that of value creation by experience goods. We were dominate their answers: excellence in craft and able to empirically identify audience segments, storytelling, the beauty of creative output, and summarily characterize its members (given the source of personal inspiration and reflection limited data collected from subjects), and de- (spirituality and esteem). At the same time, we scribe corresponding subjective viewpoints, all do not equally capture all types of value in a by working with both Q-method and Holbrook’s concourse dominated by statements referring to consumer value framework (1999). It was an un- “aesthetics” and “excellence”, nine each, whilst expected outcome of our research to discover we found no statements regarding “efficiency”, that these four empirically derived segments and only one each on “status” and “play.” We bear a strong resemblance to the four principal suggest that future research should endeavor to modes of media reception (Michelle, 2007). adopt a balanced Fisherian design, work with a balanced concourse, and extend the research to These results encourage us to further look for a more heterogeneous audience. Perhaps this is ways to use Q-methodology at the boundaries also an indication for a need to refine the eight between qualitative and quantitative research, categories to better explain value created by ex- between social sciences and humanities, to periential goods and services. create fruitful links between these, such as the one between our experiential consumer value The eight types of consumer value proposed by framework and media reception studies. Of Holbrook (1999) were used to select and build course, we also recognize the need to adapt, the concourse, the 32 statements sorted in Q- to fine tune the tools and methodologies that method. In this sense, the typology can be a use- brought us to this promising position. For ex- ful guide to design and implement early stages ample, the concourse in Q-method (the Q-sam- in Q-method. At the same time, this process of ple) must properly represent the range of ideas, grouping statements according to types of value feelings, and perceptions that the stimulus can introduces a degree of subjectivity in the design evoke. The viewpoints offered by media stu- of the research and interpretation of sorting per- dents apparently did not cover all eight types of formed. Furthermore, it requires in-depth famil- consumer value, as discussed earlier. This may iarity with Holbrook’s interpretation of consumer be related to our selection of subjects who per- value concept: not a trivial expertise to acquire. formed the Q-sorts (the P-sample), a homogeneous demographic group, or may suggest the Nevertheless, the use of Q-methodology was need for a better understanding of the applicabil- worthwhile in our endeavor to objectively iden- ity of Holbrook’s typology of value. It may very tify and describe subjective experiences of view- well be a limitation of this framework and its use ing Ryan. In a broader context, we also conclude in the context of media and creative products that there are promising prospects to adopt Q- that should be addressed in future work. 26 Consumer Value and Modes of Media Reception: ... Volumen 13 Número 1 l Junio de 2010

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